Discussion

Findlay Market -- what must I eat?

I'll be heading to Cincinnati this weekend and we're going to check out Findlay Market. In all my trips to Cincinnati, I've never been. What should definitely be on my list of things to check out and eat?

First thing on a Saturday morning is the best time to go to Findlay Market. There'll be tons of farmers out back, and parking gets tough as you get to mid-morning. Get waffles from Taste of Belgium in the center of the market house, ice cream from Dojo Gelato at the west end of the market house. Buy some bread from Blue Oven Bakery (but get there real early), and the Cake Rack bakery right next to Blue Oven is real good. Browse the World Food Bar. Also, get a meal at Tucker's on Vine Street a short distance from the market. Otherwise, bring a cooler and stock up on goetta and pepper bacon from Eckerlin Meats, cheese from Gibbs Cheese and Silverglade's, sausage from Kroeger & Sons, and olive oil, feta, hummus (homemade!) and bulk lentils from Dean's Mediterranean.

Reporting back after my visit... Findlay Market was really nice and pretty. I was especially taken with the blooming flowers that were cascading out of the windows on the buildings facing the market. Really pretty place. Maybe it will spread to the rest of the neighborhood.

The farmers market was excellent. The quality of produce was top notch and highly varied. There was clearly a commitment to less common varieties of tomatoes, apples, etc. I loved that I was seeing varieties of fruits and vegetables that I don't see at home in New Jersey. That's what should happen, but America got away from that decades ago.

The bread at Blue Oven Bakery was outstanding. I liked it so much that I hunted them down at another market in Hyde Park on Sunday. It was an epiphany. We had the apricot-walnut loaf (that was the best), the bad girl loaf, and the cider raisin loaf (dense, chewy, and wonderful). That place is a treasure.

I went into the German deli on the corner because I was going to buy some cheese, pretzels, etc. However, the staff works at a glacial speed, so I couldn't bear to wait that long. Seriously, I've never seen folks move that slowly. And I am actually a very patient person, but after they only helped 3 people in 25 minutes (and they had fairly small orders), I had to go. It's a shame because the cheese and pretzels looked great.